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Four charged in Sugarloaf break-in linked to burglary spree

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A burglary spree that began in May and stretched across four counties was halted with the arrest of four men after a break-in at a Sugarloaf Township gas station on Sept. 4, according to investigators.

In arrest papers, investigators in Dauphin County, who had been working with other police departments as they investigated several commercial burglaries, identified the foursome in August with help from Maryland law enforcement and followed an investigatory trail that led them to the Shell gas station at state Route 93 and Tomhicken Road.

Police said they searched the suspects' vehicle and found black gloves and ski masks, flashlights, camouflage clothing, wire cutters, bolt cutters, pry bars, sledgehammers, tool belts, two-way radios, a sawing tool, large amounts of cash, along with bags to carry the tools and other assorted items, court papers state.

Terrell Baker, Troy E. Baker and Cole each waived their right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday before Magisterial District Judge Daniel O'Donnell in relation to the Sugarloaf case handled by state police at Hazleton. Each faces felony charges of theft, burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary.

Smith had a preliminary hearing Sept. 30, and the same charges were held for court.

All four remain incarcerated on bail and await formal arraignments in Luzerne County Court on Dec. 27.

Arrest papers obtained from the office of Magisterial District Judge William Wenner in Dauphin County allege Troy Baker and Cole conspired and committed seven other burglaries prior to the Sugarloaf offense.

They were charged with seven felony counts each of burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary by Lower Paxton Township police in relation to these incidents:

- May 13, Colonial Lounge Restaurant, Harrisburg. The main office security system also was stolen.

- May 22, L&N Beverage, Harrisburg. The business is across a parking lot from Colonial Lounge.

Smith allegedly was involved in the June 11, Aug. 26 and Aug. 27 incidents, court papers state. He was charged with three counts of burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary, all ungraded charges.

All three were held on $500,000 bail during an arraignment Oct. 3 before Wenner for the Dauphin County charges and await preliminary hearings Dec. 4, court dockets state.

Terrell Baker only has been charged in the Sugarloaf burglary.

Lower Paxton Township police, in an affidavit of probable cause, said investigators found similarities in the burglaries committed between May and August. The businesses were broken into overnight, with alarms disabled by smashing the systems and cutting their wires, and entry doors then were pried open.

Cash was stolen after tools like sledgehammers and rotary cutting tools were used to break into safes, cash registers, lottery machines and automated teller machines, court papers state.

In late August, police from Howard County, Md., met with Lower Paxton Township police to discuss the details of a burglary at Cindy's Skylight Liquors in Elk., Md., where a coin purse with a Maryland driver's license for Cole was found, arrest papers state. Further intelligence, including information from search warrants, court orders and other reports, led investigators to the other defendants, police wrote.

Surveillance was conducted on the foursome through a coordinated effort between Lower Paxton police, Howard County police and Pennsylvania State Police and resulted in the Sept. 4 arrest.

Susquehanna Township police in Dauphin County and Caln Township police in Chester County also were involved in the investigation.

achristman@standardspeaker.com

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